Iranian Midwives Protest Hiring Proposal By Health Ministry

- Following a Ministry of Health proposal to engage midwives as nurses in hospitals, Iranian midwives staged a demonstration in from of the ministry building. The Etemad daily reports that demonstrators gathered holding banners that denounced the ministry proposal. - 3/7/14

Iran's health budget faces deficit at year end

- The Iranian Minister of Health announced that the national health budget has a shortfall of 60 billion rials this year, emphasizing that the situation was inherited from the former administration. - 2/27/14

Recombinant drugs made in transgenic goats at Iran's Royan Institute

- Researchers of Royan Institute have extracted recombinant drugs made in transgenic goats, a morning English-language paper quoted chairman of the institute on Monday. According to ˈIran Daily,ˈ Dr. Hamid Gourabi said that Royan intends to begin mass production by generating herds of transgenic goats. - 2/24/14

Report: Iranian President Donates $400,000 to Jewish Hospital

- Iranian news agencies report that President Hassan Rouhani has donated $400,000 to a Jewish hospital in Tehran. Rouhani was quoted as saying his government will pay more attention to Iran's minorities. - 2/7/14

Statistics show Iran's cancer rate rising fast

- The chairman of the Cancer Research Center of Iran, Mohammad Esmail Akbari, says 41,000 Iranians die of cancer each year and Iran's cancer rate is among the world's fastest rising. - 1/30/14

Hundreds get sick due to cracks in Tehran water pipes

- Hundreds of people were stricken with diarrhea and vomiting attacks after drinking tap water in the Pardis neighbourhood of Tehran. Residents have been urged to use bottled water for the next 24 hours while the matter is being investigated, according to Javan News. - 1/17/14

Petition addressed to UN protests Iran sanctions

- A petition, signed by more than 2,500 people and addressing the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, has protested the sanctions targeting Iran's medical imports. The petition has been initiated by a group of Iranian political, cultural, and artistic figures. Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami as well as Oscar-winning filmmaker Asghar Farhadi are among the signatories. - 1/7/14

Iranian surgeon: brain cancer vaccine is a promising therapy

- A London-based Iranian neurosurgeon who is leading the first ever brain cancer vaccine trial in Europe, says he is satisfied with the initial results of this new therapy for the most aggressive form of brain cancer known as "glioblastoma tumour". - 1/5/14

Tehran governor-general urges import of Euro 4 petrol

- Tehran Governor- General Hossein Hashemi on Wednesday called for import of petrol to meet Euro 4 standard until self-sufficiency in production of high quality gasoline. Hashemi said low quality of the gasoline being consumed in Iran is the prime reason of air pollution in Iranian metropolitans. - 1/2/14

Iran: Drying wetlands in 40 regions contributing to air pollution

- The head of biodiversity for the Department of the Environment reports that 40 wetland areas in Iran have partially or completely dried out. IRNA reports that in 40 regions, the wetlands have dried out anywhere from 20 to 100 percent, and the main cause is the lack of effective management of water resources. - 12/30/13

Hepatitis statistics show long-term decline in Iran

- The head of Iran's Hepatitis Research Network reported on Saturday December 14 that 1.6 million people in Iran carry the hepatitis virus. - 12/15/13

President Rohani Calls For Action On Iranian Air Pollution

- ISNA reports that on Wednesday December 4, Rohani called on the Department of the Environment, the presidential Deputy for Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health to find new and innovative ways of working together to reduce air pollution. - 12/6/13

Medicine imports to Iran rise 40% in month: report

- Imports of medicine to Iran increased by 40 percent in the past Iranian calendar month of Aban (ended Nov. 21) compared to its preceding month, according to Iran's Customs Administration. - 12/4/13

Iranian Health Minister foresees drug costs declining

- Iran's Minister of Health has promised that in view of the recent agreements in Geneva, drugs will become cheaper in the country. According to Ghazizadeh, difficulties in making payments in the past year have contributed to a 20% increase in the cost of drugs. - 12/2/13

Stimulant in rainfall sends hundreds to hospital in Ahvaz, Iran

- Ahvaz health officials say 1,500 people ended up in emergency rooms last night due to respiratory problems brought on by rain. The Mehr News Agency reports that officials claim the presence of a stimulant in the rain water has been causing the widespread shortness of breath. - 11/20/13

Iran: Thousands go to Khuzestan hospitals after "acid rain"

- Following a rainy day in various parts of Khuzestan Province on Saturday November 2, many people went to hospitals with serious bouts of choking and shortness of breath. ISNA reports that 3,100 people reported serious respiratory symptoms in Khuzestan following the weekend rainfall. - 11/5/13

Blood shortage reaches critical stage in Tehran province

- The head of blood services for Tehran province announced on Wednesday that the department's stores are dangerously low and it currently has only a two-day supply of necessary blood transfusions for patients. Khorasan Province announced a similar concern over low blood and plasma banks. - 11/1/13

WHERE DOES DIZZINESS COME FROM? Johns Hopkins researchers pinpoint a key area for "upright perception" in the human brain

- "Our brain has this amazing way of knowing where we are in space, whether we are upright or tilted at an angle, even if it is completely dark and we can't see anything around us," says Amir Kheradmand, M.D., a neurology instructor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who conducted the research. - 10/19/13

New Campaign Launches to Ensure Iranians' Access to Non-Sanctioned Goods

- A coalition of civil society organizations has launched an international campaign to ensure access to medical and humanitarian goods for the Iranian people. Just Access, supported by the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Arseh Sevom, United4Iran, and Sanctioned Life, aims to establish a payment channel through the European Union to allow Iranians to purchase these non-sanctioned items. - 10/2/13

Photos: Inauguration Of Nuclear Medicine Department Of Razavi Hospital In Mashhad, Iran

- On Saturday September 21, the second phase of Razavi Hospital in Iran's northeast city of Mashhad was inaugurated in an official ceremony on Saturday. The new building has 40 thousand square meters of space with the most advanced facilities and medical equipment. But what makes it really important is its state-of-the-art nuclear medicine department. - 9/23/13

Iran's first fertility center via 'telemedicine' network to kick off

- Dr. Maghrebi explained that there are 50 fertility centers currently operating in the country and based on statistics around 15% of married couples are infertile, therefore such centers are perfect places for these couples to take advantage of. - 8/30/13

Pollution protests in Zanjan lead to closure of metals factory

- Citizens of Zanjan have succeeded in their protest against the pollution caused by a lead and zinc factory, with the provincial authorities announcing its closure. The announcement concludes that the shutdown order was issued following the residents' demands to transfer the factory's work. - 8/27/13

Tehran Allows Test Run Of Alcohol Addiction Treatment Center

- Tehran has issued a licence for the establishment of the city's first alcohol rehabilitation centre. ISNA reports that the head of the Public Health Department's Addiction Prevention Centre announced that the licence is for a pilot project for the treatment of alcoholics. - 8/25/13

Alarm sounded over nursing shortage in Iran

- A member of Iran's regulatory body for nursing has warned of a shortage of nurses in Iranian hospitals, adding that "the decline in the quality of nursing" is compromising the lives of patients. - 8/24/13

Iranian heart surgeons competitive with developed countries

- On the sidelines of the 6th International Razavi Cardiovascular Congress in Mashad, capital of the Razavi Khorasan province, Professor Sotiris Parapas told IRNA on Wednesday, I have travelled to Mashad more than 10 times so far and every year, I witness great progress concerning modern equipment and possibilities of the Mashad Ultra-Specialist Heart Hospital. - 8/22/13

"Barbaric US-led sanctions killing Iranian children": Dr. Alireza Marandi

- In a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, President of Iran's Academy of Medical Sciences Dr. Alireza Marandi has blasted Washington for exacting sadistic revenge on Iranian children through their inhuman sanctions against the nation. - 8/21/13

Photos: People in Arak, Iran Hold Protest Gathering Against High Pollution

- A group of residents of Arak in central Iran held a gathering to protest the dangerously high levels of pollution in the city. According to a report by Arakna News Agency, Arak has been suffering from high pollution for the last 83 days. People are blaming high rate of cancer and other health issues on the pollution and are demanding actions from the authorities to bring it under control. - 8/18/13

Mashhad to host 6th Razavi International Cardiovascular Congress

- The 6th Razavi International Cardiovascular Congress and the Second Cardiac Nursing congress will be held in Mashhad from August 21-23. Head of Razavi Hospital Saeed Abdolhosseini told a press conference on Wednesday that the congress will be held in collaboration with World Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons and Euro Asian Bridge. - 8/14/13

Lead and Zinc Factory Near Zanjan Shut Down After Protests

- In the wake of a protest by the people of Zanjan, the lead and zinc factory on the outskirts of the city has been shut down. In a mass protest last week, citizens of Zanjan demanded the plant be shut down because of its "deadly emissions." - 8/14/13

Iran: Protesters in Zanjan link cancers to factory emissions

- Zanjan citizens staged a widespread protest on Sunday in front of the governor's office and the office of the Friday Imam, denouncing the pollution spewed by lead and zinc factories near the city. - 8/12/13

Drugs in short supply in Iran for blood disorder

- The head of Iran's Thalassemia Society has expressed grave concern about the level of Iran's import and production of drugs for the blood disorder, announcing that what drugs are available are now being rationed. - 8/6/13

Dr. Ghajar implants the first Telescopic Lens in Fresno

- On July 17, 2013, Dr. Ghajar, cataract & corneal specialist, became the first local surgeon to implant a tiny telescopic lens in the eye of one of our patients at the California Eye Institute at St. Agnes. -Eye Medical Center of Fresno - 8/4/13

Iran's customs rule changes to help import of crucial drugs

- Iranian customs authorities have announced that medical drug importers will be allowed to clear their back-up goods through customs if they have bank guarantees for money owing. Importers are instructed to go directly to customs, where all the necessary paperwork will be processed. - 8/4/13

Iran's medical drug imports stuck in customs limbo

- Mohareza Naderi, the technical deputy at the Iran Customs office, told ISNA that currently the medical drugs are being held at customs because importers have not been able to pay the difference between the government-subsidized exchange rate for the dollar and the market rate for the dollar. - 8/1/13

When I Ran Out of Birth Control in Iran

- I recently had to extend my trip to Iran and ran out of birth control. No biggie, I thought, contraceptive pills are easily found in pharmacies throughout the country and you don't even need a prescription. I walked into a pharmacy in Tehran two nights ago, showed the pharmacist my own birth control pills from the United States, and asked for something similar. -Narges Bajoghli, Iran Wire - 8/1/13

Cancer patient advocate warns of soaring treatment costs for Iranians

- The head of Society Supporting Cancer Patients in the Central Province has reported that the cost of cancer treatment across the country is rising at an alarming rate. Ahmad Ghorbani said: "Currently, the cost of medication has quadrupled, and 13 percent of patients have abandoned their course of treatment." - 7/31/13

U.S. Authorizes More Medical Exports to Iran; Financial Sanctions Remain Obstacle

- NIAC applauds the Obama administration for expanding the list of medical devices that can be exported to Iran, and urges it to follow up on this action by addressing financial sanctions that have been cutting off humanitarian exports to Iran. - 7/26/13

Market Insight: Iran's Healthcare Market on the Rise

- Iran's healthcare industry is set for a bright future. The country is ranked 15th among Middle East and Africa (MEA) countries in terms of long-term investment potential. With a population of 75 million people - more than 50% of which is under the age of 35 ... -Frost & Sullivan - 7/25/13

"There is No Medicine; Remain on the Waiting List"

- When some callers ask for medicine which is not available in drugstores, pharmacists ask them to leave their phone numbers on the waiting list. And when they ask when the medicine may be available, the response they get is "nobody knows." Sometimes callers are asked to ask their physicians for substitutes. -Niusha Saremi, Rooz - 7/24/13

Blood disease sufferers face drug shortage in Iran

- The head of Iran's Thalassemia Society told Mehr News Agency that Thalassemia sufferers are faced with a drug crisis because the domestic production of the drugs cannot meet the needs of the country's patients, and in the past four months, even domestic production has fallen to 30 percent of the usual output. - 7/20/13

Iran conducts first facial reconstruction surgery successfully

- The first and most important facial reconstruction surgery in Iran which lasted for nearly 5 hours ended with successful results. Mousa Sheikh has undergone the surgery at Golestan Hospital after his face was badly damaged following hitting a guardrail. - 7/17/13

Iran unveils 12 domestically produced medicines

- Iran unveiled 12 types of domestically produced medicines, including nine anti-cancer drugs, during a ceremony held at Pardis Technology Park in Tehran on Sunday. According to ISNA, Bortezomib, Cytarabine, Capecitabine, Erlotinib, Vorinostat, and Irinotecan are some of the drugs which were unveiled. - 7/15/13

Obama Administration Looks to Address Humanitarian Impact of Sanctions

- The State Department's top official coordinating Iran sanctions acknowledged on Wednesday that U.S. sanctions have impeded humanitarian transactions for Iran and could potentially undermine international support for the sanctions, indicating that the United States government is actively considering ways to solve the problem. - 7/12/13

Rafsanjani laments medicine shortage due to 'cruel' sanctions on Iran

- Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has described foreign sanctions on Iran as cruel, saying that the so-called advocates of human rights have upset the Iranian people, especially the patients. - 7/11/13

Photos: Mass Family Walk in Tabriz, Iran

- People in the city of Tabriz in the province of East Azerbaijan in northwestern Iran participated in a mass family walk on Friday July 6th. In recent years, many cities in Iran have been holding family walk days to promote exercise for a healthy body. - 7/5/13

Iranian addiction clinics hampered by rising drug costs

- The rising price of medical drugs has severely restrained the services offered by addiction treatment clinics. ILNA reports that the head of Addiction Prevention and Treatment has said its clinics are faced with a 60- to 80-percent increase in the price of the medical drugs they need to deliver adequate treatment. - 7/1/13

UN: Afghanistan is Top Opium Producer, User

- Afghanistan once again was the world's largest opium producer in 2012, churning out 74 percent of the world illegal opium. According to the United Nations, Afghanistan's drug-fueled economy both funds the insurgency there and threatens to further undermine the country's fragile economy and security. - 6/27/13

Iran burns 100 tons of illicit drugs on International anti-drug day

- Iran marked the UN International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Wednesday by burning 100 tons of illicit drugs across the country. Iran has been used as the main conduit for smuggling illicit drugs from its eastern neighbors to drug kingpins in Europe. - 6/27/13

Six Die, Hundreds Sick In Iran After Drinking Tainted Alcohol

- Reports from Iran say six people have died and 348 have fallen ill after drinking poisonous alcohol in the southeastern province of Kerman. The semiofficial ISNA news agency quotes a medical official, Hamid Najmeddin, as saying that three people were in critical condition in a hospital's intensive care unit on June 1. - 6/2/13

World No Tobacco Day 2013: Ban tobacco advertising to protect young people

- According to World Health Organization (WHO), countries that are making strong progress in banning the last remaining forms of advertising include Albania, Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, Iran, Mauritius, Panama and Vietnam. - 5/31/13

UCLA live-tweets surgery to implant brain pacemaker while patient strums guitar

- During Thursday's operation, which was overseen by Dr. Nader Pouratian, the patient was awakened and asked to play a guitar to assist the team in placing electrodes into position. Dr. Pouratian is director of the UCLA Functional and Movement Disorder Program. - 5/29/13

Iranian cities warn Parliament about dangerous food imports

- Representatives of the Iranian cities of Golpaygan and Langarood have warned the agriculture and health ministers that recent imports of wheat and rice are contaminated and could cause widespread health complications. - 5/25/13

Professor Parvaneh Vosough, angel of Iran's Cancer Children, passes away

- Everyone in Mozaffar Street loved Mrs. Professor's Green Volkswagen bug; a symbol which would appear in the vicinity of Ali Asghar Hospital, making evident the presence of a woman who had dedicated her life to cancer-suffering children; who abandoned her residence in Europe to live beside cancer-suffering children in Iran and to help them. - 5/21/13

Iran's medicine imports fall by 54 percent

- Iran imported $34.2 million worth of medicine in the first Iranian calendar month of Farvardin (March 21-April 20), down 54.7 percent year on year. In November 2012, the health ministry of Iran called the Central Bank to earmark $2 billion for importing medicine to cope with the domestic shortage as a result of international sanctions. - 5/21/13

Iran transplants aortic valve in sheep's heart

- Iran has embarked on conducting several important research plans on different medical and veterinary domains since last year, one of which is transplanting human's aortic valve to several sheep, said Secretary of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution Mokhber Dezfouli. - 5/14/13

Iran's first locally-made influenza vaccine to hit market

- Iran will mass produce the first locally-made influenza vaccine for the first time in 2013, said Iranian Deputy Health Minister for Research and Technology Mostafa Qaneyee. "One of the most important vaccines being produced by Iranian researchers is influenza vaccine y using SPF eggs. The product will hit the market this year," Qaneyee said. - 5/13/13

Iran allocates $157m to import medicine, medial equipment

- Iran has allocated $157 million to import medicine and medical equipment since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21), IRNA reported, citing a statement by the Central Bank. Some $1.6 billion has also been allocated to import staple foods, the report added. - 5/9/13

Inhumanity and Illegality of Sanctions Justify Iran's Response

- Sanctions against Iran have negatively impacted the lives of the Iranian people, and they continue to do so despite lacking a legal foundation. If we recognize the inhumanity and illegality of sanctions, we can better understand the Iranian government's response to them. -Mahmoud Reza Golshanpazhooh - 5/9/13

3 Million Newborns Die Within First Month

- The humanitarian organization Save the Children has released its annual State of the World's Mothers report. It says despite much progress being made in reducing maternal and child deaths, every year, three million babies die within the first month of life. Many just live a few hours. -Joe DeCapua, VOA - 5/7/13

Iran's Former Health Minister Warns Of Drug Price Crisis

- Former Iranian Health Minister Marzieh Dastjerdi has warned that the surging increase in the price of medical drugs will soon surpass 100 percent unless the government provides subsidized foreign currency for its purchase. - 5/1/13

Iranian researchers building artificial heart

- President of the University of Mashhad Medical Sciences said researchers at the university are building artificial heart for the first time in the country, describing it as a "key achievement" for Iranian scientists. - 4/27/13

Rising price leads Iranians to drink less milk

- The head of dairy syndicates, Mohammadreza Esmaili, reports that the scrapping of government subsidies has led to a price increase of 40 to 60 percent, which in turn has led to this fall in milk consumption. - 4/27/13

Is the Hijab Responsible for Iran's Spike in MS Cases?

- Multiple sclerosis has skyrocketed in Tehran, increasing almost sevenfold between 1989 and 2005. In Iran's central province of Isfahan, the incidence nearly tripled from 2005 to 2009. Now Oxford University researchers suggest, for the first time, that the 1979 Iranian Revolution may deserve some of the blame for the extraordinary jump. -Libby Copeland, Smithsonian magazine - 4/24/13

Iranian doctor greatest world woman inventor in 2013

- Dr. Zahra Alizadeh Thani, an Iranian doctor from Mashad Medical Science University received the award of the greatest world woman inventor in Geneva International Festival for Inventions in year 2013. - 4/17/13

New Study Finds 7,000 Unlicensed Surgeons Performing Nose Jobs in Iran, Rhinoplasty Metropolis Of The World

- In all, more than 200,000 nose jobs are performed on Iranians each year. According to the reports, women as young as fourteen undergo rhinoplasties in Iran in hopes of achieving the same nasal beauty associated with famous Hollywood A-listers in America. -Babak Azizzadeh, MD, FACS - 4/1/13

Drug shortage to force closure of Iranian operating rooms

- The head of the Anesthesia and Special Care Association of Iran has warned that a number of operating rooms in various Iranian hospitals are facing closure due to a shortage of anesthesia. Mohammad Mehdi Ghiamat said: "With the approach of the New Year holidays, only emergency cases can be taken to operating rooms, and the situation for other patients will remain unclear." - 3/13/13

Iran Parliament Calls For End To Medical Drug Delays

- Iranian Parliament has called on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to immediately free up the drugs that have been stalled in customs and allow them entry into the market. Iran has been facing serious drug shortages in recent months due to a lack of foreign currency, as international sanctions on Iranian banks have restricted financial transactions and the import of medical drugs. - 3/9/13

Blocking Medicine to Iran

- Patients in Iran are dying of treatable diseases because of shortages in life-saving medicines. The past year has been nothing short of catastrophic for the Iranian health-care sector: Imports from American and European drug makers in 2012 were down by an estimated 30 percent since 2011, and they continue to fall. -Siamak Namazi, NY Times - 3/4/13

Photos: The first successful hand transplant surgery in Middle East performed in Tehran

- Members of the Tehran's 15th Khordad Hospital surgery team have successfully completed hand transplant surgery during 8.5 hours of breathtaking procedure. "In this transplant operation, the wrist of a 25 years old young brain dead person was transplanted to a 37 years old man who had lost his hand 6 years ago in an accident while using a meat grinder." - 2/28/13

Iran ranks fifth in orthopedic sciences

- Head of Iranian Orthopaedic Association Gholamali Akasheh Friday said Iran has attained the fifth international place in the field of orthopedic sciences and it is among the superior Asian countries in this medical field. - 2/24/13

Iran is cooperating in global Human Proteome Project

- A researcher of Royan Research Institute said here Saturday Iran is cooperating with 19 developed countries in the global Human Proteome Project (HPP) in the fields of medicine and science. - 2/23/13

Medicine at Center of Debate as Iran Sanctions Tighten

- Earlier this month, the U.S. government announced tighter sanctions on Iran. In particular, the actions would further limit Iran's access to oil revenues "by restricting Iran's ability to use oil revenue held in foreign financial institutions as well as preventing repatriation of those funds to Iran." -Negar Mortazavi, VOA - 2/14/13

Report: Sanctions Are Primary Cause of Iranian Medicine Shortage

- Sanctions imposed by the West are the leading cause of medicine shortages in Iran according to a report published by the Woodrow Wilson Center. While the report points to structural problems in Iran's pharmaceutical sector as well as mismanagement and corruption by the Iranian government as contributing factors, it determines that these are far outweighed by the consequences of American and European sanctions. -Nadia Hakim - 2/13/13

U.S. Iran Sanctions Exempt Food, Medicine, Remittances

- According to a February 6 press release from the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), under U.S. law the sale and export of nearly all types of food and medicine, as well as basic medical supplies, are "broadly authorized," and other types of U.S. humanitarian exports can gain authorization through a license from OFAC. -IIP Digital - 2/11/13

US Medicine Exports to Iran Drops By 50 Percent: Official Data

- The release of official US statistics came despite the claims by certain American officials that they "have tried to sanction Iran without unduly harming ordinary Iranians, granting licenses, for example, to US companies that wish to export pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food and other humanitarian goods to Iran". - 2/11/13